Venezuela is in turmoil and according to the latest news reports coming out of that country, even once middle-class citizens have now resorted to sifting through trash in order to feed themselves.
This, however, has not stopped hundreds of T&T nationals from flocking to Venezuela’s tourist island, Isla de Margarita, every week in sold-out chartered flights, the Sunday Guardian has learnt. Isla de Margarita is located 16 kms away from Caracas.
While uncertainty in Venezuela has led to the dwindling of the North American and European markets for Margarita, the T&T market has now become the island’s most loyal.
A reduction in the airfare to Margarita this month is said to be responsible for the cheaper prices. For as little as $1,600 an adult can spend four days and three nights at one of Margarita’s all-inclusive hotels this month. That $1,600 total includes return airfare and the cost of the hotel where guests are provided with all they can eat and drink.
This represents a 40 per cent decrease in the cost of the same package two months ago. For the Easter weekend the cost of that package was $2,680.
The Trinidad to Margarita route became active in the 1980s and has thrived ever since. The Sunday Guardian spoke to several travel agencies to find out if Venezuela’s economic collapse has affected travel to Margarita. Philip Navarro, a director at NavTours Ltd, said the chartered flights continue to sell out every week and the feedback from visitors has been positive.
“The charters are selling out. We cannot put enough planes on the routing, they are doing very well. Visitors are coming back with minor complaints, there are issues over there with crime as we have in Port-of-Spain, but no worse or no better. If you go in the bad areas, if you hang out in some bar downtown in the dark, you have issues yes, but generally on the compounds and within the hotel industry they don’t have any issues,” Navarro said.
“The rate of exchange is fabulous. The cost is fabulous and of course, the properties themselves have been built to appease all global tastes. So yes, they (Margarita) have had a slump generally due to the public perception of how things are in Venezuela but in general from the feedback we are getting from our clientele, the hotels are in good shape, the food is excellent and of course, what is really attracting them, let’s be frank, is the affordability,” he said.
The exchange rate right now is approximately 900 Venezuelan Bolivars to one United States dollar.
Navarro said there are several issues that make Margarita an “easy choice” for Trinidadians and NavTours has been doing “quite well” as a result.
“We are able to expand and reduce the pathway to Margarita very easily...so we are not having to plan eight months in advance for our clients.
“This is not always available to them when you go to other Caribbean islands and other destinations, even Tobago. In Tobago these days, if you don’t plan four or five months in advance you can’t get a room in a decent place. So these are all the things that make Margarita a very easy choice and in general. Alvin Ramsook, from World Travel Agents, said because of Venezuela’s instability potential visitors to Margarita usually have lots of questions.
However, when they actually visit the island they return pleased.
“Venezuelans themselves go to Margarita from the mainland to vacation so it (Margarita) is not affected as much as the mainland. The hotels get their supply of food internationally from their chains but this month, as you can see, there are much cheaper rates to go there so we have had a bulk of passengers going every week,” Ramsook said.
Flights aboard Rutaca Airlines leave this country every Thursday and Sunday to go to Margarita.